World tea production up 4.66% in January-June

World tea production between January-June 2005 increased 4.66 per cent to 762.9 million kg from 728.90 million kg during the same period in 2004.

This was due to a sharp rise in India's tea production, Indian Tea Association said Monday. Export was down 3.13 per cent to 339.9 million kg this year from 350.9 million kg a year ago, it said.

Industry sources attributed the increase in production to better weather conditions in majority of the tea producing countries.India's tea production during the period increased 11.50 per cent to 312.70 million kg whereas that of Bangladesh jumped up 14.7 per cent to 16.4 million kg, the association's paper Current Tea Scenario said.

Kenya produced 166.7 million kg of tea during the period, down 1.9 per cent from the corresponding period of 2004 while Sri Lanka produced 165.7 million kg of tea, up 4.01 per cent. Indonesia's tea production increased 2.2 per cent to 46.1 million kg, it said.

African countries like Malawi and Zimbabwe produced slightly lower tea in the first half of 2005 compared to previous year though Tanzania managed to produced 16.9 million kg of tea this year, up 1.9 per cent from previous year.

On the export front, India, Argentina, Sri Lanka and Zimbabwe suffered setbacks by exporting 4.7 -60.4 per cent less tea this year compared to previous year while China, Kenya and Tanzania exported 4.2-15.9 per cent more tea this year, it said.

Industry sources said, export from Zimbabwe was down due to prevailing political uncertainty in the country while that from India was down due to decline in export to Commonwealth of Independent States, Europe and some countries in the Middle East.

The Indian Tea Association, however, clarified that export of 40.2 million kg of tea from China is till February while that of Kenya is 117.1 million kg till April.